I-Team: Lawmaker's two jobs, two paychecks questioned

Austin Badon's timecard shows work at SUNO while working as lawmaker

While State Rep. Austin Badon works part time as a state lawmaker, the Democrat’s full time job is as a community service coordinator at Southern University at New Orleans.

I-Team: Lawmaker's two jobs, two paychecks questioned

Austin Badon's timecard shows work at SUNO while working as lawmaker

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Updated: 7:17 PM CDT Nov 1, 2012

NEW ORLEANS —

While State Rep. Austin Badon works part time as a state lawmaker, the Democrat’s full time job is as a community service coordinator at Southern University at New Orleans.

Some independent analysts say there is reason for concern on how Badon is being paid and how he performs two jobs at the same time, but Badon believes the issue is being raised only because of his candidaty for New Orleans City Council.

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As a state representative, he receives a base salary of nearly $17,000, up to $6,000 for expenses each year and a per diem payment for each day he works as a legislator.

Since Hurricane Katrina, public records show those per diem payments have exceeded $90,000 dollars in total.

It's a figure in line with payments to many other lawmakers who have put in a lot of time since the storm.

Documents reviewed by the I-Team show Badon is frequently paid for "approved out of state travel" -- trips made to promote the state, attend conferences or obtain education on a certain topic.

The records show that in June, Badon was paid a "per diem" for three days -- a total of $447 -- when he traveled to Williamsburg, Va.

“I am the former chair of the education committee and a lot of the trips I went on dealt with education issues,” he told WDSU.

In 2011, Badon was paid almost $1,500 in total for trips to Atlanta, Tampa and Pittsburgh.

A year earlier, he collected more than $1,000 for trips to Denver and San Diego -- all legitimate business approved by the Speaker of the House.

However, on each of the days Badon was being paid for out of state work in his role as a lawmaker, records reviewed by the I-Team show he was also working at Southern University at New Orleans.

For instance, Badon’s timecard from SUNO indicates that he was working 8-hour days for the two weekdays he was out on the three-day trip Badon took to Virginia.

In the trips around the country in 2010 and 2011, time cards show Badon marked “8” on his SUNO timecard, indicating he was working at the state-funded university.

In a sit-down interview at his home, Badon defended the practice.

“I spend countless hours on my cell phone staying in touch with students and faculty and make sure all my business is done,” Badon said. “I am working while I am on these trips.”

Badon is paid more than $44,000 a year by SUNO, where he serves as community service coordinator. He's one of just a handful of lawmakers who work in higher education -- getting two paychecks from the state for two different jobs.

Badon said that he is a salaried employee, and doesn’t necessarily “punch a clock.”

He said he feels that gives him flexibility in how he manages both jobs and collects two paychecks -- sometimes for doing both jobs at the same time.

Political analyst Ed Chevrenek said the fact that Badon is being paid by two public institutions for work on the same day opens him up to scrutiny.

“If you are not a Badon supporter you are going to look at this as improper behavior and say he's double dipping. If you support him you'll say he's doing public service and with technology he can do both,” Chevrenek said.

Former state representative Charmaine Marchand viewed Badon's per diem payments from the state and his time cards from SUNO.

“The problem here is its perception,” Marchard said. “It's what the community sees with regard to if it's improper or not."

Badon said it's all above board and is lashing out at his political enemies, many of whom have been looking into this same issue.

“I would hope many of them would take the high road as I have taken with them,” Badon said.

The records the I-Team reviewed show Badon often takes pay from both the legislature and SUNO, but not always.

His timecards from 2010 represent that on some weeks he was "in session” at the state legislature and not working at SUNO. On those days, Badon received payment only for his work at the Capitol.

However, in 2011 and 2012 he was paid by the state to attend the regular legislative sessions and indicated on his SUNO time cards he was working for the university at the same time. An "8" was marked on his timecard, indicating he worked eight hours as marked in on the same days he was at the Capitol.

Badon said there were many occasions in which he would work from 8 a.m. until noon at SUNO and then head to the Capitol in the afternoon.

A SUNO representative said, “All employees of the Southern University System are required to fill out a time sheet that is then reviewed by their supervisor. It is the responsibility of the employee to notify their supervisor of, and accurately account for any leave that is utilized during a pay period.”